Effects of Peritoneal Fluid from Endometriosis Patients on the Release of Interferon-g-Induced Protein-10 and Interleukin-8 by Neutrophils and T Cells

Study Objective: To evaluate the effects of peritoneal fluid from endometriosis patients on the release of interferon-g-induced protein-10(IP-10) and interleukin-8(IL-8) by neutrophils and T cells. Design: In vitro study. Setting: Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan, Republic of Korea. Patients: Stage III or IV endometriosis patients(n=15)(ePF) staged according to the revised American fertility society scoring system. Intervention: Neutrophils, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells were cultured with ePF or a control PF (cPF) obtained from patients without endometriosis (n=5). Measurements and Main Results: When compared with cPF, the addition of 10% ePF to CD8+cells significantly increased the release of IP-10. In addition, the level of IL-8 released was higher in ePF-treated CD4+ T cells than in ePF-treated CD8+ T cells, but the level of IP-10 released by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that we retreated with ePF was similar. Moreover, the release of IL-8 and IP-10 by T cells or neutrophils was decreased when these cells were co-cultured. Finally, there was a positive correlation between the concentration of IL-8 in ePF and the level of IL-8 released by ePF-treated neutrophils or CD4+ T cells, but the concentration of IP-10 in ePF was not correlated to its release by neutrophils and/or T cells. These findings suggest that neutrophils and T cells release differential levels of IP-10 and IL-8 in response to stimulation with ePF, and that these cells may influence the amount of cytokine released by each other in the peritoneum of endometriosis patients. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that neutrophils are an important component in the innate immune system and that they are involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.